Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/95079
currentaffair REVOLUTION The gate-to-plate Australian consumers have made it clear: they like their produce to be high quality, fresh and local. Simone Henderson-Smart looks at how the farmers market scene has changed the way we shop. E very weekend at more than 150 farmers markets around Australia a huge array of fresh produce is unloaded from farmers' trucks and displayed on fold- out tables under marquees, ready for the arrival of happy shoppers. Considering our busy lifestyles, it makes sense to combine the things we have to do, such as grocery shopping, with the things we like to do, such as wandering around a market and getting a dose of sunshine and fresh air after a long week at work. Jane Adams of the Australian Farmers' Markets Association agrees: "Shopping in the fresh air is healthy and fun. Farmers markets are brimming with conviviality and community and offer real and vibrant social connections while at the same time bridging the urban/rural divide." It comes as no surprise, then, that the popularity of farmers markets is growing. Earlier this year, Australia's Minister for Agriculture, The Hon. Joe Ludwig, released a report based on a 2011 survey of farmers market managers, which showed: 97 per cent of managers reported long-term sustainability of their markets; market numbers more than doubled between 2004 and 2011 to 150-plus nationally; 69 per cent of the markets surveyed reported increased stallholders and 64 per cent reported increased shoppers. Little did these shoppers realise, while they were meandering with their baskets, smelling fruits and sampling cheeses, they were starting a revolution. The recent carbon tax debate has brought environmental issues to the fore and, as such, Australians are becoming more aware of the concept of food miles: the greater the distance our food needs to travel to reach us, the greater the impact on the environment. This has led to increased demand for locally sourced produce, which supermarket chain IGA has consistently embraced as part of its philosophy. 74